PEACE ETERNAL IN A NATION UNITED
On Oak Hill, just a bit Northwest of the town of Gettysburg, stands the Eternal light Peace Memorial. This memorial with its’ eternal flame was dedicated in 1938 by President Franklin Roosevelt on the 75th anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg.
As I stood before this monument to the brave souls that fought here so long ago I questioned just how united our nation is today. I do believe though that the fabric of this experiment we call the United States is strong and will survive the tears and rents in its’ fabric. America is more than a collection of people living in a geographic area, it is an idea. It is the idea of those founders that set down a document that guides this nation forward. A document that so many brave souls fought for so long ago on this hallowed grounds.
It is these ideas that are what are worth fight for, these ideas that make us who we are today. We all have our own nuanced version of our foundation and at times it seems as these nuanced versions will tear us apart. I think though that we will survive, through all that civilization can throw at us.
The casualties taken on July 1, 2, and 3 in 1863 here in Gettysburg are not in vain, they built a stronger foundation on which our country can grow and learn from our past. As we must learn from our past to move peacefully and progressively forward, and yet be prepared to fight for the foundation of our country.
I recommend that everyone visit this battlefield area that engulfs the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania where the most costly battle in US history was fought. The following are images and light commentary from our time spent there.
It is here in the Pennsylvania countryside that this battle raged over three days in July of 1863.
The battle took place on farms and in the fields and forests surrounding the farms.
This is indeed hallowed ground.
The soldiers’ Monument (above) marks the location where President Lincoln gave his address on November 19, 1863. This is in the Gettysburg National Cemetery.
We spent a couple of days here at Gettysburg. The Visitor center and museum are a must see. The cyclorama, a circular painting done in 1816 was absolutely awe inspiring and the museum was very humbling.
Harper loved to hike around the battlefields and we had a great time as well. I highly recommend the auto tour with the app on your phone which follows your route through the GPS and narrates as you drive and visit many different places.
The horrors of the battles that took place here are beyond imagination. The primitive weapons and knowing that there were brothers against brothers fighting here. Unbelievable.
We had a great diner that evening at the Spring house Tavern in the basement of Dobbin House in Gettysburg. The Dobbin House was built in 1776 and apparently has been in business since.
The theatre in the museum was named the Marguerite and Gerry Theatre… My parents names were Marguerite and Gary… just a curiosity I thought I would share.
Below is a gallery of images from our time spent in Gettysburg. Click any image to get a larger view.
